Homecoming
by wolfgirlnowandforever
Summary: Gameverse. All it took was a phone call. Hearing the other's voice brought out all the feelings they'd been holding in. Red/Leaf
1. Don't Know Where I Am

**A/N:** So I wrote this a while ago, but I only just now got around to posting it. I haven't seen too many Burningleafshippers around, but I hope that they enjoy this little story!

* * *

"This can't be right…"

Leaf glanced around, trying to find something in her surroundings that would match the map she was holding. The only thing that looked even remotely like a landmark was the strange rock formation she stood next to, but it wasn't anywhere on her map.

She knew she'd started out the day on Route 119. She had spent the night in the Weather Institute, and planned to visit Fortree in the morning. It was late in afternoon now, and there was no sign of the treetop city. Leaf suspected it was somewhere behind her. Sighing, she put her map back in her bag and continued through the damp landscape.

It was kind of funny. Three weeks ago, she'd been sweating in the desert, and now she was in a forest, shivering a little as a light drizzle came down. Leaf rubbed her arms with the palms of her hands to get rid of the goosebumps that covered her, wishing she had a sweater with her.

The weather in Hoenn was so radically _different_ from Kanto's. Back in Kanto, the temperature rarely went up or down more than a few degrees, except in the winter, and it was almost always sunny. In Hoenn, the day could start out in the low seventies and suddenly go all the way to the mid nineties by noon. Sometimes it looked like the sun would be out all day, and suddenly the sky would be full of clouds. The unpredictability made it hard to dress appropriately.

(Though to be honest, most of her clothes _were_ skirts and sleeveless shirts...)

Leaf looked at the sky and sighed, coming to terms with the fact that she had no idea where she was, or which direction she should be going in.

_Okay, so with that out of the way… pick a direction and follow it until you find something!_ She thought. She could tell by her faint shadow where the sun was above the clouds. Fortree was in the north, and Lilycove was in the east.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds, letting her instincts choose for her. _East_, something inside of her said. _Go east_.

Alright then, she was heading east. Leaf let her mind wander as she started in that direction. How long had she been in Hoenn? Almost three months. She would need a calendar to be sure, but she was sure it had been three months. In that time, she'd traveled across most of the western half of the main island. She'd really wanted to visit the littler islands on the eastern half recently, so maybe that was her reason for going east.

After a while, the smell of salty air hit her lungs. Salty air meant the ocean. She picked up the pace, hurrying towards the scent. And suddenly, there it was behind a bunch of trees. Huge and deep blue, it stretched out for miles ahead on either side. She checked her map again and saw that she was around Route 121. (Jeez, she'd bypassed Fortree City completely!) She looked around and saw that Hoenn's Safari Zone was just to her right. A little further ahead and she'd be in Lilycove.

So she wasn't lost anymore. That meant that she could take her time now. She walked right beside the seaside cliffs, a small rush going through her when she saw how high up she was. She was higher than the cliff back home in Pallet Town.

_Back home_… She thought, a pang of homesickness hitting her suddenly. It had been a long time since she'd thought of Pallet as her home. She'd always had wanderlust, even as a kid, but Pallet was the first place she'd ever thought of as where she belonged. She could lounge around beaches and stumble through snow, loiter in Pokémon Centers in cities she'd never even heard of for days, but she always left, and rarely missed those places. Right now, she honestly missed Pallet.

She missed her friends.

She hadn't seen them since she left the Indigo Plateau almost a year ago. Sure she sent them postcards from the places she visited, sometimes a long letter if she'd stayed in one place for a while, but she hadn't seen them in person. Hadn't even heard their voices, since Red rarely used his Pokegear, and Green was so busy running his new gym. She didn't mind though.

...At least that's what she told herself during the nights when the loneliness made her heart clench in her chest. She'd gotten so used to hearing someone else's breathing nearby, that the lack of it made her realize how alone she really was now.

But so what if she wasn't sharing a tent with Red anymore? It wasn't a big deal. She stopped walking and stared out into the ocean for a while, thinking about him.

Was he lonely up there in that mountain? Did he miss hearing her breathing at night the way she missed his? Did he even think about her at all...?

The thought that he might not hurt worse than the loneliness.

Just then she felt a buzzing at her hip. She looked down into her bag and saw that her Pokegear was ringing. It could still get a signal in Hoenn? Neat. She pulled it out and checked the caller ID.

Her heart nearly skipped a beat. The call was from Johto, specifically from Mt. Silver. It could only be one person. Heart racing, she pressed the call button and held it to her ear

"Hello?" Oh mew, her voice sounded so squeaky. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Hello?"

"Leaf?" Now her heart really skipped a beat. She knew that voice, could recognize it anywhere, even without hearing it for a year. She could feel herself smiling just by hearing her name coming from his mouth.

"Hey Red." She said. It was almost ridiculous, how suddenly happy she was now. Like if she'd been homesick just for his voice.

Like his voice was home.


	2. Tell Her I'll Be By Her Side

**A/N:** Here's part two! Sorry if Red seems out of character to you guys. I really liked writing him like this though!

* * *

She'd left so suddenly. No explanation, no goodbyes, nothing.

The same way he had, actually. But where he had secluded himself in a mountain close to his hometown, Leaf had gone to a completely different region.

Well, Leaf had always been a wanderer, he knew that. She went wherever she wanted. You were either left behind or along for the ride, but  
she wasn't going to be waiting around for you while you made up your mind.

She was stubborn that way, but Red had always thought that was one of her best qualities. It made Leaf who she was. Headstrong, determined, brave.

Free.

That was why she could just pack up and travel to some other region anytime she wanted. She could go meet new people, catch new Pokémon, anything. She didn't force herself to stay in one place like he did, she let herself _live_.

Here he was, practically shackled to Mt. Silver, waiting for a challenger who would give him a decent fight. That was the life he'd chosen when he climbed up the snowy mountain. "The final challenge", they called him. Sometimes he missed the life of a traveling trainer, walking for miles in the sun and sharing a tent at night, but he could deal with that feeling easily enough.

But he'd had no idea that he would miss _her_ so much.

He hadn't noticed it at first. He was so busy trying to get stronger, become better. Sure he was the strongest trainer in Kanto already, a Champion, but he had to be the _best_. A few months later though, he found himself waking up in the middle of the night. Uncomfortable with the complete silence that surrounded him.

He had all her letters and postcards, read them by the flashlight she'd given him on the nights when he couldn't get to sleep. Green brought them over whenever he came to visit. There were never two from the same place. She wrote about superficial things like what the weather was like, or a tough Pokémon that she knew he would have loved to battle.

But she never talked about coming home.

He'd been thinking about that when the golden eyed boy from Johto arrived.

Red hadn't been expecting such a fierce battle, and he attributed that as the main reason he'd lost that day. (Though he had to admit, that kid Gold was one amazing trainer.)

That battle was his wake up call. He had been up in that mountain for too long. Gold had thanked him for the match and left. He had people to get back to, he'd said. Who did Red have to get back to?

The answer was clear as crystal.

_Leaf_. He had to get back to her.

He held his Pokégear in his hand. It felt heavy there, like it was waiting for him to dial her number. His eyes passed over all the other registered numbers, Daisy's, Green's, and _there._ There it was. He stared at Leaf's number, fingers hesitating over the call button.

It had been over a year since they'd talked. He'd never sent her a letter in return because he knew that she'd be long gone by the time he sent it. What if she resented him for never bothering to contact her? Maybe she wouldn't want to talk to him. Maybe she didn't miss him.

Did she… did she ever think about him anymore?

There was only one way to find out.

"Hey Red." Her voice was clear and so familiar. The way she said his name, let him know that she _had_ been thinking about him. "How have you been?"

"Good. I've been good. You?" He felt so awkward. What should he say? It'd been so long since he'd had a regular conversation with her.

"I'm good too." Leaf said. There was a pause, and he could hear her breathing on the other line. "I um, I was lost a little while ago, but I'm not anymore."

"Really?" He asked.

"Um, yeah." She sounded embarrassed, which was weird coming from. Usually, she was so confident. Was he making her uncomfortable?

"I'm sorry for calling you out of the blue like this." Red said, shifting on his feet nervously. Why was _he_ so nervous? "I can hang up if you want me to—"

"No, please don't!" Leaf cried. He heard something that almost sounded like a clap, and he could practically see her slapping her hand over her mouth. "I… I mean, it's really nice to hear your voice again, Red. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." He'd thought those words so many times in his head, and now they were finally out there. He said the next words without thinking. "I want to see you again."

She was silent on the other line.

He mentally slapped himself. Oh Mew, what had possessed him to say that? The words had come out before he could stop them. Of course she didn't want to see him, she'd probably left Kanto to get _away_ from him. He had to fix this. "Leaf, I—"

"Come to Lilycove." She said suddenly. He heard rustling on the other end. "I'm almost there now, I can meet you there, i-if you really want to see me again."

"Yeah, I really do." He said. She was smiling right now, he could tell. Even over the phone. He could picture her right now, her mouth turned up, brown eyes sparkling, and found himself smiling too. "Lilycove you said?"

She gave him instructions on how to get there from Vermillion. He got her to laugh, a cute bubbly thing that was infectious. He couldn't remember what he said that made her laugh, but he kept that sound in his mind, replaying it over and over as the boat he was on got closer to Lilycove City.

Closer to her.


	3. Gimme Your Love

**A/N:** Finally at the really shippy part! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter~

* * *

Leaf anxiously waited for the ship to arrive in Lilycove's Harbor. She wasn't the only person waiting around for someone, so she tried to keep away from the larger groups. If she didn't find him right away, at least he'd be able to see her.

She could see the boat way off in the distance. It made her heart hammer hard inside her chest, even though it was just a speck out in the water. Red was on that boat. The closer the boat got, the less she could stay still. She bounced on her feet, watching the boat coming closer every second.

What would she say? She hadn't seen him for so long, maybe they wouldn't have anything to talk about anymore. She remembered all those late nights when they were traveling around Kanto, talking about anything and everything that came into their heads until they fell asleep. Maybe they would still be able to do that. She really hoped so.

As the boat pulled in, she found herself getting swallowed up in the crowd. Leaf looked in every direction, hoping to find a gap that she could squeeze through. What if she couldn't find him and he decided to just get back on the ship and leave without even saying hello? The passengers began getting off the boat and Leaf started getting pushy.

"Excuse me!" She said, roughly squeezing between two reuniting women. They looked a lot alike, so maybe they were sisters. She ignored the complaint one of them made and kept going forward.

She kept an eye out for anybody that looked like Red. She caught a glimpse of dark haired boy wearing a red hat and she stood still. _Turn around_, she thought, _turn around so I can see your face_.

He turned, eyes searching the crowd behind her. Leaf could feel her face heating up and called out to him. "Red!"

His eyes immediately locked onto hers. His ears turned pink and he pulled his hat over his eyes, but he hurried down the stairs two at a time. Leaf rushed forward to meet him half way.

"Red!" She cried, wrapping her arms tightly around him. His arms came up around her, strong but gentle, and she thought her heart might burst out of her chest.

"Hey Leaf." He said into her hair. He'd gotten so much taller than her in the year they'd been apart. Her face was at level with his collarbone now, where before they had been almost the same height.

"I can't believe you're here." She said into his chest, inhaling the scent of his shirt. He smelled like home. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you too." He said, running his hand down her hair. She'd brushed it almost obsessively that morning, wanting it to look extra shiny for their reunion.

Someone bumped into Red's back, letting them know that they were in the way of the other passengers getting off the boat. Leaf grabbed his hand and led them around the crowd. She didn't let go even after they had left them behind in the harbor.

All of a sudden, she was nervous. She kept her face turned away as they walked, though she kept sneaking glances at him. It looked like he was doing the same thing. "So, um… how long to you plan on staying?"

"I don't know." He said. "As long as you are, I guess."

"Oh." She smiled. She wasn't planning on leaving for a while, at least not anymore. "Well, I never know how long I stay in one place. It could be a few days, it could be a few weeks."

"_You_ stay somewhere for weeks?" She felt him laughing softly beside her. "I can stay as long as you want me to, though."

Was he… teasing her? Oh well two could play at that game. "I don't know if you can handle being here all that long Red, it can get pretty warm in Hoenn. You've been up in that mountain for so long, after all, that maybe this weather will be a little too much for you…"

"Please." He said, and she looked at him in time to see him roll his eyes at her. "When has anything been too much for me?"

She laughed. "You sounded like Green just then. How is he, by the way?"

"Arrogant, busy." He said. "The same as usual."

"Sounds like he could use a vacation." She squeezed his fingers. "I think you could too."

"Vacation?" He asked, looking confused.

"From that mountain." She elaborated. They'd reached the stretch of beach to the east of the harbor. Her mouth turned downwards. "You've been up there so long, it's almost felt like you had a full time job, same as Green, huh?"

"A little bit, yeah." He said. He looked out into the water and sighed. "Listen, I'm really sorry about being so distant."

"It's okay—"

"It's not though. Leaf, I haven't been a good friend to you at all, and I'd understand if you were angry at me for it." He dropped her hand and stepped away from her. "I'd… understand if you hated me."

"Why would I hate you?" She asked, stepping in front of him. "Red, I'm not angry."

"Why aren't you?" He asked, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Because…" Leaf felt her face heat up. He didn't know? She thought it should have been fairly obvious why, but then again, Red had always been the oblivious type.

She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. By the small noise of shock that Red made, Leaf knew that this wasn't the reaction he'd been expecting. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck and tried to convey her feelings with her body, the way she wouldn't be able to with words. She let him feel the burning ache of loneliness she'd felt for the past year, and how it was suddenly gone now that they were together again.

She knew he understood when his hands came up to her waist. She felt his eyelashes flutter shut against her skin and he kissed her back, the way she was kissing him. She could feel his apology in that kiss, his feelings of regret and disappointment in himself, but also the feelings he had for her. She could feel how much he missed her by the way his breathing changed, how happy he was to see her again by the way his lips moved against hers, and how he didn't want to let her go by the grip he had around her waist. It was almost too much for her to handle all at once, but in a _good_ way.

She broke the kiss first, burying her face into his chest. She could feel his heart hammering beneath her ear, the same way her heart was, in her own chest.

"Do you… Do you understand now?" She asked him, breathing hard. She couldn't look at him just yet, afraid of what she might see.

"I think I do." He said, just as breathless as she was. His hand came up and tilted her face up. She was surprised at the expression on his face. He looked so vulnerable. His face was a dark pink color, and she could see all the emotions behind his eyes. Usually he was so guarded, but right now, he wasn't hiding anything from her. He had a small smile on his face, but it looked like it might go away any second. "Can you… say it out loud for me?"

"I love you." She whispered. It was all too much now, too intense, so she closed her eyes and pressed her face against his neck. "I love you, Red. I always have."

"I love you too." He said. His face was in her hair then, as if it was too much for him too. His arms were tight around her, and it all felt so right. She didn't need anything else right now. Nothing else in the world could compare to this.

This was what she'd been missing all this time.


	4. There's Something About You

**A/N:** Ah, romantic couple-y fluff~ It's all I ever write these days, but then, who doesn't love fluff?

* * *

There was a Contest being held the next day, so Pokémon Center was full. Leaf had gotten them a room at the Lilycove hotel instead. There was an awkward silence when they got in and saw that it only had one bed for the two of them.

"I'll take the floor." He said without hesitation. He wasn't going to just assume that she wanted him in her bed, even after their mutual confession.

"I wouldn't… mind if we shared." Leaf said, blushing a little. "I-I mean, it's just like the old days. Remember when we shared a sleeping bag on those colder nights?"

He did of course, but they had been kids back then. Things were different now. "Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure." She said. It hadn't made it any less awkward when night fell and they were standing in front of it. It wasn't that it was small. It was a queen sized bed, definitely big enough. What made Red so uncomfortable was what Leaf wore to sleep.

"Um, I think I have some sweat pants in my bag somewhere." She said, standing in front of him in an T-shirt that barely came down to her thighs and not much else. "Would that be better?"

He nodded, keeping his eyes on the floor. He knew Leaf had great legs, and her skirts didn't hide them, but he didn't think he could handle sleeping next to her like this. It was too intimate. And what if it rode up in her sleep? He didn't look up until he saw her (clothed) legs in front of him.

She smiled up at him. "You don't have to be so shy, Red."

"One of us has to be." He said, and she laughed as she climbed into the bed.

They stayed up most of that first night, catching up on each other's lives.

He wanted to know everything that he'd missed while he was up on Mt. Silver, all the places she'd been, what she'd done there, who she'd done it with. But the words kept getting caught in his throat. Leaf understood though, and she made sure to tell him all he wanted to know and more.

They finally got to sleep just before dawn. She rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Red?" She asked, sounding only seconds away from sleep.

"Yeah?"

"I love you." She whispered. Just hearing those words again made his heart race.

"I love you too." He said, kissing the top of her head. Her eyes were closed, and he was sure she hadn't heard him. But that was okay. It felt good saying it to her, and he knew he'd have another chance to tell her when they woke up.

/

It must have been noon when he woke up. The light was streaming in through the window, illuminating the hot meal on the dresser in front of him. He blinked, not sure if he was really awake or not.

"Good morning, sunshine!" Leaf sang, fully dressed and looking down happily at him.

"What's this?" Red asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Breakfast in bed." She said, a huge grin on her face. "I wanted to surprise you this morning. How do you like it?"

He sat up and smiled at her, his stomach already growling. "I think it's great, Leaf."

After breakfast, Leaf decided that they needed to go sightseeing. "You really need to see more of the world, Red." She said, sticking out her tongue playfully at the mock-scowl he gave her.

They held hands as they walked down the streets, Leaf leading the way. Neither of them had any idea where they were going but, 'that was the fun of it' as Leaf liked to say. That was another thing Red loved about her. She could look at the unknown and instead of worrying about it, she'd head straight for it.

That was how they wound up at Lilycove's art museum. Leaf had picked a street at random and followed it until something caught her eye. They were lucky, admission was free that day.

"Wow, look at this!" Leaf exclaimed. She walked right up to a large painting of a woman. She had dark blue eyes and fluffy looking hair, and she was holding a Pikachu in her arms. Leaf turned to him and smiled. "She's really pretty, isn't she?"

"Maybe." Red shrugged.

"Maybe? What do you mean by that?" She asked, looking back at the woman. "I think she's beautiful."

"She can't compare to you though." He said. _Wow, that was a cheesy thing to say_, he thought, but the way Leaf's eyes went wide, he felt that it was worth it.

She blushed a pretty pink color and nudged his shoulder with hers. "G-Geez, where did you come up with that pick up line, Red? Come on, let's keep looking."

They looked at every painting that the first floor had. Leaf made colorful comments about how certain pieces of art really stood out. Red said they were pretty, or if they were really good, that they were beautiful. Leaf teased him about his way with words, but a quick kiss made her stop just as fast.

The second floor was different. It was full of art from Pokémon Contest, specifically contest winners. Some of the paintings were outlined in red, some in yellow, and others in blue, green, or pink. Leaf seemed to be drawn to them.

"I made a friend here in Hoenn who competes in these contests." She said, looking at the labels next to the drawings. "She swore that she'd be up here some day."

"Are any of them hers?" He asked, looking at the strangely captivating portraits.

"No… but I'm sure she'll get up here some day!" She said, a positive smile on her face.

They left the museum after that, heading over to one of the smaller streets. There were a lot of shops in this street, and Leaf insisted on buying souvenirs for everyone back in Pallet. She held up things and asked him who he thought it should go to.

"I think Daisy would like this." Leaf said, holding up a box of rare herbal tea. "What do you think?"

"She's going to love it." Red said. Leaf grinned at him and moved on to the next aisle. By the time they got through the street, they'd bought at least two things for practically every resident of Pallet Town.

There was a large crowd nearby, and though Red didn't know what it was for, Leaf knew what it was almost immediately.

"The Contest must be starting soon." She said, scanning the crowd. She turned to Red. "Do you want to go check it out?"

"Sure. Maybe your friend will be there." He said. He held up their bags of souvenirs. "We have to put these away though."

"Okay, let's do it quick then! We don't want to miss anything important." Leaf said, hooking her arms together.

He couldn't help smiling. It was amazing how such a simple touch had such a huge effect on him. "It's a date then."

"Oh." She looked down at herself. "I don't think I'm really dressed for a date though…"

He pressed his lips against her forehead. "You look great."

They hurried back to the hotel, barely noticing that the sun was going behind the clouds. It got very overcast in the few minutes it took for them to put away their things and get outside again.

"Do you think I need a sweater?" Leaf asked, shivering a little as she looked up at the sky.

Red took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Don't worry, I'll keep you warm."

She tugged it around herself and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "What a gentleman."

It started raining just after they entered the Contest Hall.


	5. Coming Up For Air

**A/N:** And here's the thrilling conclusion~ It's too bad I never got any reviews... but that's okay! I loved writing this, and the favorites I got are great too!

* * *

Another flash lit up the room, making Leaf press her face closer to Red's chest. The resounding boom that came after it was worse than the one that had come before.

As soon as the contest was over, they had exited the Contest Hall to find a heavy downpour before them. They made a run for it, trying to make it to the hotel before they got too soaked, but they were drenched to the bone by the time they made it back.

The storm had come so suddenly, and neither of them knew what to do. Sure, the weather in Hoenn was unpredictable, but this was different. Before the power had gone out, they'd turned on the television and watched the news reports. Apparently, the weather was going crazy all over Hoenn, not just in Lilycove. It was worse further inland, with some places getting both torrential rain and blazing heat waves, sometimes within minutes of each other. One expert was in the middle of theorizing that Legendaries were involved, when the television flickered off, leaving them in the dark, both literally and figuratively.

The wind and rain pounded against the windows so hard, Leaf wasn't sure if they were going to hold. They had pushed the bed as far away from them as they could, and now they huddled together underneath the covers, hoping that the storm would die down.

"Red?" She asked. She was shivering a little, even with his arms wrapped around her.

"Yeah?" His arms tightened as another bolt of lightning lit up the night.

"What do you think is going on out there?"

"I don't—" The rest of his answer was drowned out by the loud boom that followed the lightning. He spoke up again when it ended. "I don't know. It could be anything, really."

The lay there in silence for a few minutes, listening to the storm outside. It wasn't dying down at all. If anything, it had gotten worse as time went on. Leaf felt guilt pooling in her stomach.

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"What?"

"I'm sorry." She said, a little louder this time. She felt him shift against her to try to get a better look at her face in the darkness.

"What are you sorry for?" He asked. The confused look on his face only made her feel worse.

"It's my fault you're here." She said, keeping her face hidden. She couldn't look into his eyes. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here."

"What are you talking about? Listen to me, Leaf." He lifted her face so she had to look at him. "I wanted to see you. You didn't know this would happen."

"But I'm the one who—" She was cut off when his lips pressed against hers. He was trying to distract her, she knew, but she wasn't going to let it work. She pulled away and put her hand against his mouth. "Red, let me finish."

He sighed, but kept quiet so she could finish speaking.

"This is my fault. I'm sorry I got you into this. If it wasn't for me, you would have been safe back home."

"_You're_ home, Leaf." He kissed her forehead and let his lips brush against the worry line there while he spoke. "Mt. Silver never was, and Pallet didn't feel like it anymore. You're my home now."

"Red…" She felt like she was on the brink of tears. "But, I've put you in danger and—"

"It doesn't feel dangerous right now." He said, brushing her face with his hand. "I've always felt safe whenever I'm with you."

"I feel safe with you too." She said, smiling a little. She tilted her head up a little and kissed him. There was a flash beyond her eyelids and another roar of thunder boomed close by. The loud noise caused them to break apart. Leaf's heart was racing, but she wasn't sure if it was because of the noise or what they'd said.

She rolled over on top of him, her body flush against his. She could feel him inhale sharply beneath her, and she knew that her actions had caught him by surprise. She took advantage of that by leaning down and kissing his neck.

"Leaf, what are you doing?" He asked. The skin of his neck was hot under her lips. She felt his adam's apple bob as he swallowed, and she knew that she couldn't stop now.

She lifted her face just enough to lock eyes with him. "Please, Red?"

"Please what?" Even as he was saying that, she knew he understood what she was asking of him. He just needed her to say it out loud.

"Can… can we…" The words caught in her throat and she had to start over. "I want to be with you. Please Red? We might not get another chance."

They stared into the other's eyes for a long time, gauging each other's reaction. The thunder roared close by but they didn't break eye contact. Finally Red's hand came up and brought her head down to his. Leaf could feel her pulse speed up.

"Okay. Anything you want, Leaf." He said, capturing her lips with his.

In the morning, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sun streamed in through the window, as if it had always been there. Warm and safe, like it was at home.

/

"I think it's time we get back to Pallet." Leaf said, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

"Hm?" Red looked up from his pancakes, confused. It had been two weeks since the region-wide storm had hit. They'd left Lilycove about six days ago, and were currently staying in Mossdeep City. He swallowed before he asked, "Why's that?"

"I think people back home might be worried. I mean, the letters I send home might help a little, but it's always nice to see someone in person." She said, giving him a wry smile. "We should know, right?"

He knew. He smiled right back at her. "Yeah, I see your point. But why now go?"

"Why _not_ go now?" She asked, looking surprised by his question.

He didn't look into her eyes when he spoke. "I don't want our time together to end yet."

"Oh." She sounded a little shy there. "Well, just because we're going back doesn't mean we have to stop being together. We can always have another trip, a planned one this time."

He looked out at the sprawling island, giving this decision a lot of thought. Leaf busied herself with shredding her napkin in the meantime. When he looked at her again, he was smiling. "Okay, let's go back."

/

Green was furious at them.

"Just where the _hell_ do you two get off?!" He yelled at them, his hands clenched in to fists at his sides. "Do you think you two can come back here, just like that? You disappear, don't bother to tell anyone, have us all worried, and you just expect me to welcome you back with open arms?!"

"We've missed you too, Green." Leaf said, throwing her arms around him. He didn't move at first, trying to stay angry with them for as long as possible, but in the end, his softer side won out and he hugged her back.

"Don't think this means I forgive either one of you for leaving like that." He said, pulling away glare at the two of them. "It's just good to see you home again. That's all."

Red's mother was glad to see them again.

"We've all missed you here, Red. And you too, Leaf." She said, hugging each of them close. "We're all so glad you've decided to come home. Tell me, how was Hoenn?"

Red felt a little guilty for leaving so abruptly. They really _had_ made a lot of people worry. "It was great mom."

"Really? I heard that a big storm had hit only a couple of weeks ago." She said, looking concerned for them.

"It wasn't anything we couldn't handle." Leaf said, squeezing Red's hand. "Right, Red?"

He smiled. "Yeah, we were fine."

His mom looked between the two of them, a sly grin forming on her face. "Well you're here now, and that's all that matters. Welcome home you two."

Leaf's mother was understanding.

"It's good to see you again, honey." She said, giving her daughter a hug. She turned to Red and hugged him just as warmly. "You too. Thank you for bringing her home."

"I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while, mom." Leaf said sheepishly.

Her mother waved away the apology. "It's fine. As long as you send your letters, I know you're okay."

"Really, mom?" Leaf asked, a surprised smile on her face.

"Really. You're practically all grown up, and now that I know Red's going to be around…" She winked at him. "I'm not worried at all."

They blushed and wondered how much she already knew.

Professor Oak was clearly relieved that they were back, though he didn't say it outright.

"It's been quiet without you two around here." He said. "Would either of you like me to evaluate your Pokédex?"

Leaf smiled and hugged the old man. "I sure have missed you Professor!"

Red handed over his Pokédex. "I recorded a few Pokémon from Hoenn in here Professor Oak."

"Oh, I should have done that too." Leaf said, pulling out her Pokédex from her bag. It looked like it hadn't been used in a long time. She giggled. "Oops."

Professor Oak grabbed Red's Pokedex and shook his head. "You two haven't changed a bit."

Leaf glanced over at Red and shared a look with him. "We haven't?"

/

Leaf let her feet dangle from the edge of the small cliff, the water just barely out of reach. "This water's nothing like the water back in Hoenn, don't you think so?"

"It looks about the same." Red said, taking off his shoes and joining her.

"Ah, but looks can be deceiving." Leaf said, yelping a little when a wave came up and reached her toes. "Geez, that's cold!"

"Of course it is, it's fall." He said. Leaf shivered slightly, but she kept her feet where they were, so he put his arm around her shoulder, trying to warm her up.

"Wow, fall... It didn't feel like it at _all_ back in Hoenn." She said. She looked up at the sky, enjoying the pinkish purple hue of the sunset. "Hey Red?"

"Hmm?" He asked, his eyes on the sky too.

"This is going to sound cheesy, but do you ever think that things just can't get any better?" She asked, resting her head on his shoulder. "Like, maybe we're living in some perfect moment?"

"Yeah." He said, kissing her forehead. "I'm living in it with you right now."

"Oh." Leaf gasped. She grabbed at her heart, the happiest smile on her face. "That's it right there. I think I've hit maximum happiness. I might just evolve into some better me right now."

"You couldn't be better if you tried." He said, pressing their lips together gently. He smiled into the kiss as she deepened it, as impatient as ever.

There would be time for other people they didn't greet and time for their Pokémon later. But right now, at the edge of Pallet Town, this time was just for the two of them. They didn't have to think about tomorrow, or the next day, or anything but the way they felt against each other.

This was everything they had ever wanted and more.


End file.
